Wheel



M 1931- R. s. BURDETTE WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed May 15, 1928 v zjwvm'wto'a RichazdaBurdetbz.

March 17, 1931. 5, BURDETTE 1,797,195

WHEEL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 vFiled. May 15, 1928 Patented Mar. 17, 1931 1 mcmmn J s.

i it has"particular relation to' wheels of the", above designated character, which are pro-" 1 vided' with porting 'riln is demountably secured upon .the rimlupon the spokes, also were operable 20' over the 'inclined spoke ends; 'Th'ese; rims. either were of uniform strength throughout UNITED STATES? I q r i 1,797;19s

FATE T bFFl-ce" .BURDETTE, or AKRON, oHio, ASSIGNOB To THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUB- BER COMPANY; or AKRON, 0310, A CORPORATION or 01110 I WHEEL My*invention relates to vehicle wheels' and "demountable tire supporting members. i "V *Anobject of the invention is to provide a wheel assembly in which an annular the supthespokes of the wheel, and wherein the more flexible portions of the rim are disposed adjacent' the ends ofisuch spokes.

Heretofore,-, demou table rims have been employedby-securin'g them directly upon the ends of thespo'kes of a wheel. These rims had laterally'inclined portions atspaced intervals on; their inner peripheries, which rested upon'incl ned surfaces on the ends of thespokes. Clamplng devlces'for securing for moving-the inclined surfaces of'therim their length, or else had reinforced portions -which rested upon the spoke ends. Consequently, the portions of the rim at the spokes were at least as rigid as the portions between the spokes; Infact, in the latter type of rim,

- the portions of 't-he rim at the spoke ends were more rigid than the portions between the, spokes. Consequently, it was 'dificult to distort'the rimsufliciently to seat it properly 7 "jects'datera'lly throughtlie spoke. In addi' rim, at spacedintervalscorresponding-in qu l tly, 40

number-to the spokes ofithe wheel, is provided 'wit-h' relatively flexible sections adapted:

tion, reference may now be had to the accompanying 'drawings,'forming a part of this specification, of which: i I

Figure 1 is an lelevational viewof appreferred form of theinvention; I

Figure '2 1s a cross-sectional View, ona

larger scale, taken substantially along the line Figure 3 a cross-sectional view,on"ai larger scale, taken substantlally along the line III III of Figure I;

Figure Ais a cross-sectional view of a form v of the'invention in which the tir'e'fs upport mgr'lm is mounted onthe spokes of the wheel in "a position the reverse of that shownby Figure 2;- i g Figurebj'is a cross-sectional View of an-] other form of the invention, in which the tire surfaces adjacent the ends of the spokes;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevatioifal, View of a wheel, showing another form ofthe re.- inforced tire supporting rim; Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view, taken substantially along the line VII-VII of Figure 6; I

' Figure 81s a fragmentary elevational view' iine'IX-IX ofiFig Y i therefrom. 'Each spoke at its outer end is inclined to "the axis of the'wheel (Figure in order to provide a rim supporting surface 23. Adjacent this surface an opening 24 pro- A tion,'each spoke has a ledge 25, disposed vinwardly with respect to the opening 24Lwhich extendstransversely thereacross, and paralleltothe plane ofthe rim. An annular rim 2 6 havinga tire 27 thereon, is supportedIdirectlyflupontheinclined surfaces 23. i As best shown by Figure 1, Y the inner periphery of -the rim 26 is provided with a;

- flange 30, on the inner, periphery of which spacedrim supporting sections 31 are formed.f

Each of the .sections is composed ofan in .v clined surface 32 anda radial surface 33, dis

posed between the diverging edge of the former and "the rim. Between the sections 31, the flange 30 progressively increasesin depth," in order to provide; reinforced por tions for resisting bending stresses effecting these portions of the rim.

60 supporting rim has a plurality of inclined The rim 26 is secured upon the ends of the spokes by fastening devices 34:, comprising bolts 35 passing through the apertures 24- and having threaded end portions 36 for receivin clamps 37 having an opening 38 therein. One of the ends of the clamps abuts the ledge and the. other end engages the surface 33 on the rim' 26. Nuts 39 for engaging the threaded ends of the bolts ur e the clamps 37, inwardly against thespokes 22, and the surfaces 33. 1 1

In the operation of the aforesaid construction, the rim 26 is disposed approximately in its proper position upon the ends ofthe spokes 22. The clamps 37then are mounted upon the bolts 35, with their inner ends enga ing the lle"dges.25, and their outer ends engaging the surfaces 33, Thereafter, the nuts39 are engaged with the 1501:3135, VVhen the. nuts aretightened against the clamps .37, the. in-

. clinedsurfaces 32 on the rim 26 will be moved relativeto thefinclinedsurfaces 23. on theends I of the spokes 22. As each nut is tightened,

the .rim adjacentthereto is moved outwardly, which results in the contraction thereof'elsewhere, Contraction of the rim at any spoke end is limited by the ,clamp37 abutting at opposite ends, theledge 25 and the rim. For example, if; one spoke should be, slightly longer than another, by tightening the nut at thelonger spoke, the run w ll be drawn lnto I contactw'ith the shorter spoke. By adjusting of the'ledge 25 of Figure 2,jbut inclined with respectto the plane of the wheel. The opposite ends of clamps {l4 operatively engaging the spokes 22, taper outwardly, as indicated the nuts properly, the rim is seated upon the spokes. approximately in concentric relation to the, wheel, andin alignment therewith.

In the construction shown by Figure 4, each spoke has a notch 40, defined by a radial surfacef-ll andfa surface 42 parallel to the of the wheel. In addition, the spoke has a ledge d3 disposed in a position similar to that at 45 and. 46, respectively. p 7

The rim is disposed upon thespokes in a re verse position, as compared with thatlshown,

by Figure 2, with the surface 33 thereof abut ting the surface 41. By tightening the nuts 39 ,the inclined ends 4601" the clampsare moved relative to the inclined surfaces .32 of i the rim 26, thus. securing the rimrigidly; in

position.

Accordln to the.

construction shown by F igureo, the flexible portions3l of the flange 30, are provided'with oppositely inclined seating surfaceshl and'52 Fach ofthespokes 1s providedwith an inclined surface 53, upon which the incl ned surface 52.0f the rim'is' seated. The ledges 43 and the clamps .44 are identical with [those shown by Figure 4r.

lVhe'n thenuts .39 ar e tightened, the clamps I t lomove, theinclined; surfaces 52 and .53 relatively,until the rim rigidlyseated upon the spokes.

.cept that theflexible see are provided with laterall issecured in its proper position.

The construction shown by Figures 8 and 9 isidentical with that shown by Figure 2, ex-

ions. f elimi V yextending slots-, 65. The purpose of; theseslotsisjfurthe std.- increase the flexibility of therimi From the foregoing. description, it is apparent that a tiresupporting rim embodying; the cardinal features, of fthisT inventi nis.- p'ositively' seated upon all ofv the spokes; withstanding any. variation in the lengths 0 thereof or variation in curvature ,of -the riml. Moreover,- the assembly is, extremelyland" highly resistant to road shocks-.andotherr stresses to which such wheelsareisubjected. 7 Although I haveillustrated onlyjthe pre 5 ferred forms-which the invention may assume and have. described those forms in detail, it will beapparent to thoseskilled in gthe art; that it isnot so, limited, but thatvario1 1s minor modifications maybe made.therein. 0 v without departing from the. spiritlofthe invention' or fromithefscope of theappendd claims. V I V '3 i What I claim is: v

1. In combination, a, wheel having ciro um- 5 ferentially spaced supporting surfaces,,a rim. having seating surfaces mountedon said sup; porting surfaces, adjustable means .for,secur-1 ing the rim upon the supportingsurfacesby moving the rims radially outwardlyfadja; 10 cent such surfaces, said rim havi'ng radia lly disposed flanges extending inwardly,between moving the rim radially outwardly -adj acent; 1 0

such surfaces, said rim having radiallvdis posed flanges extending. inwardly,- between est midway between theseating surfacesand g, the seating surfaces, said flanges beingdeep l theseatingtsurfaces. I V T '3. In combination, a,wheel havingcirc nnferentially spaced supportingsurfaces, a. rim having s eating surfaces mounted on said su y porting surfaces, adjustable means for secur}: 13o.

progressively of less depth as theyapproach 12s ing the rim upon the supporting surfaces by moving the rim radially outwardly adjacent such surfaces, said rim having radially disposed flanges extending inwardly between theseating surfaces, the flanges being deepest midway between the seating surfaces and progressively of less depth as they approach the seating surfaces, respectively, said seating surfaces on the rim having laterally directed slots therein.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

Signed at Akron, in the county of Summit i and State of Ohio, this 8th day of May, 1928;

RICHARD S. 'BURDETTE. 

